Chain tightener



Feb. 3. 1925. 1.524.873

P. }MLOUGHLIN CHAIN TIGHTBNER and Nov. s, 1923 INVENTOR R McLOlQHLIN.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK MCLQUGHLIN, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

r,- CHAIN TIGHTENER.

Application filed November 6, 1923. Serial No. 673,151.

To all whom z'tvnayconcern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK MCLOUGH- LIN, a British subject, residing at VVorcester, in the county of WVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain Tighteners, of which the following is a specifica-' tion.

This invention relates to improvements in chains.

Commercial skid chains in the past have comprised a pair of side members designed to lie at the sides of the tire near the rim and a plurality of cross-members connecting the side members and extending over the tread of the tire. The side members are split and provided with a hook and eye type of connection for adjustably securing the ends together. Difliculty has been experienced, however, in properly drawing the ends together with the proper tension to take up the slack and prevent the chains from becoming unduly loose and either striking against the fenders or being thrown off when in use. Realizing this difliculty, use has been made in the past of auxiliary springs or the like to hold the chains properly ti ghtened, and special tightening tools for use in applying the chains have been designed. Also attempts have been made to embody a tightener in the attaching hook but these have been unsatisfactory due to insufficiency of the leverage provided and the absence of proper means to lock the tightening lever in closed position.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties experienced with prior art constructions and to provide a structure which will be simple of construction and compact in form and which will operate to properly draw up and tighten the side chains the required amount to firmly but not unduly grip the tire, and which will be capable of utilization to lock the chain in tightened position and prevent accidental loosening or disengagement of the connected parts. A further object of the invention is the, provision of a device which in addition to drawing the parts into interlocking or secured position may be employed to positively disengage the parts as when it is desired to remove the chains.

In the attainment of'these objects, in its broad aspect the invention comprises an attaching member for application to one end of the chain, in combination with an intermediately-pivoted lever carried by the attaching member, said lever having an operating position at one side of its pivot and having a hooked head at the other end for engagement with the free end of the chain to draw it into locking relation with the attaching member.

More specifically, the invention comprises a hooked attaching member which forms t-he fulcrum for the lever, in combination with a lever which serves to force the chain under tension into locking engagement with the hooked portion of the attaching member or out of engagement therewith as desired and which is provided with means for locking the lever and thus the chain in engaged position. 7

One embodiment of the principles of the invention together with a modified form of locking device is shown in the accompanying drawings,'in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the invention in use.

Figure 2 illustrates the initial engage ment of the chain by the tightening lever.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the attaching member.

Figure 4: is a similar view of the tensing lever.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a different manner of securing the chain to the attaching member, and,

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating a different locking device.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates a demountable rim bearing the tire 2 to which is applied a suitable antiskid chain structure including the side chains 3 and cross-chains 4.

Secured to one end of the side chain 3, either by a link 5 as shown in Figure 1, or by a bolt 6 and nut 7 as shown in Figure 5, is what I have termed my attaching member. This member is in the form of a doubled or folded piece of sheet metal providing the spaced side members 99 con nected by the fold 10 and having the aligned the proper link of oneend with the connection on the other'end. This difficulty the present invention obviates; through the vision of thechain shiftingllever 16. ,This lever is intermediately pivoted as at 17 on the rivet 13'and has extending therefrom in one direction the elongated operating handle pro- 18, whileeat the other end, is thehead 19 havin a T -sha ed slot com risin the shank at p P a ,u port1on;20, and lateral terminal ,pQljlilOllS ln use, the attaching member is suitably,

secured to one end of the side chain and the .Chainappliedinthe usual manner to a tire.

nthen passed-through the slot20 into the, notch 22 as illustrated inFigure 2. ,Rock ingot the lever on-.its pivot will thentense otheside'chain and draw the engaged link over into position to swing down. into the A linkat the otherv end of the side chain is retaining notch or slot 1 1: behind the hook 215., asshown in Figure 1. I At the same time,

the engaged link will slide in the jslot of wthe-head from the notch 22 to the notch 21,

the tensionrofthe chain tending to hold the lever in its closed position.

It will be understood that reverse rockthing of thealever willcainqthe chainout of the slot 14 and provide a satisfactory leverage for ready releasing of the chain when desired. on the other hand,;to prevent accidental disengagement of the chain link from the attaching member, the end of the lever may be provided with the hook 23 and spring keeper 24 for engagement with one of the side chain links 3 as shown in Figure 1. This device serves to positively prevent accidental swinging movement ot' the lever, while the solidhead of the lever closingqthe .slot 14 securesfthe link of the sidechain .in'position. (in alternative form "of locking dei' ice, for engagement'with a sld elbl'ldln link is shown infl igure and comprises a hook 25 and a spring 26 for holding the hook laterally against the link 3.

"I'claim:

v 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an attachingmember,

of a pivotcarried thereby, and a lever i ulerumed onthe pivot having a head with aKTf-shaped chain engaging slot formed therein and an opposed handleportion, the

attaching member having a chain receiving slot d sposed in the path of movement of the slot iiiQ'the head. a

2. A the chain tightening device comprising an elongated attaching member formed firoi'nfsheetf metal having apertures near the 'ends' jthereoi, one of saidjapertures being adapted for engagement with a" side chain and the other to receive a pivot for the ftensing lever, the intermediate portion of the Y member having a diagonal slot formed therein for "thefreception of the opposite endj'of the tensed side chain I YPATRIGK MoLOUGHLIN. 

